Family, police search for missing Medford man

As nighttime temperatures have dipped into the 30s, the family of an 87-year-old Medford man who went missing Wednesday while running errands are increasingly fearful for his well-being.

By chris conrad

As nighttime temperatures have dipped into the 30s, the family of an 87-year-old Medford man who went missing Wednesday while running errands are increasingly fearful for his well-being.

Truman Tollefson, 87, left the home in the 1800 block of Brookhurst Street at 5 p.m. Wednesday, saying he was going to run errands. His family reported him missing at 8:30 p.m.

Tollefson's last known location was the Wells Fargo Bank at 1320 E. McAndrews Road in Medford. He was last seen at the bank at 5:13 p.m., according to surveillance photos. A news release from Medford police said he then was going to the Medford Center Safeway.

Tollefson's family spent Friday driving from one end of the county to the other in search of the elderly man, according to his granddaughter Amanda Wolfe.

"We drove all the way up to Prospect and all the way down past Ashland and Jacksonville and we found nothing," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said her grandfather did not suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's and had a clear mind and would not be wandering aimlessly after becoming lost.

"Sure, he is almost 90 and has had some minor memory issues, but he does not have medical problems with his brain," she said. "He is not mentally unstable."

The fear is that he might have been the victim of a crime, Wolfe said.

"That's what is so scary to think about right now," Wolfe said.

"We're growing more concerned because he's now been gone for a couple days," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said, adding the cold overnight temperatures also have been cause for worry among law enforcement agencies on the hunt.

All Jackson County law enforcement agencies have been notified about Tollefson's disappearance. Police in adjacent counties also have been told.

"He could be anywhere in the Southern Oregon area," Budreau said.

The chilly temperatures at night have made the family concerned for his safety.

"I am 19 and even if I was inside my car overnight in this weather, I'd be worried," Wolfe said.

The family is imploring motorists to keep an eye out for Tollefson's car, which is described as a heavily-oxidized silver 1981 Buick Century.

Tollefson is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs around 135 pounds and is balding. He was last seen wearing a tan coat, black jeans, white tennis shoes and eyeglasses. He is thinner than the photo provided, which was taken in 2005.

Anyone with information about Tollefson's whereabouts should still call Medford police at 541-774-2200.